


Clockwork Heart

by Riascelia



Series: Clockwork Heart [1]
Category: Torchlight (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Insanity, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Kiss, Oblivious, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plans For The Future, Post-Quest, Sacrifice, Two way oblivious, for the greater good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 21:25:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9516866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riascelia/pseuds/Riascelia
Summary: After the fall of the alchemist and the death of the witches, the four new heroes of torchlight return to their previous lives adventuring, exploring, researching, and helping the good people of Vilderan. When the engineer, known as Ana, goes missing, the group reunites to find her. They travel to seek the wisdom of the guardians of magic, gathered in Estheria. There they learn that ember blight, the very cause of the alchemists corruption and quest to destroy the world, has taken root within the body of the engineer. Her use of technology similar to that of the alchemist as well as her proximity to the alchemists ordraks heart staff when it shattered, will send her into madness if not stopped immediately.





	1. Plague of the past

**Author's Note:**

> to deal with my torchlight withdrawal as tl3 will never come out because the dev is done......SIGH........heres all 4 of my surviving characters from tl2 all having fun and maybe dying hopefully not. i got all to max level on hardcore and elite difficulty(fk me right)

            “There has to be a way!”

            The guardians looked at each other before the Guardian of Mana spoke softly, “There is no doubt, we are afraid, that the Engineer has been afflicted with ember blight. The guardian of fire's account can only further prove the corruption.”

            “But…how? We all went on the same journey together yet why did she get the blight?”

            The guardian of water spoke softly, “Yes it is indeed strange that none of you have a similar affinity to the netherim and ember that would be expected from killing the netherim king and visiting his realm but perhaps that too has the same reason. Just as the alchemist before her, the Engineer used raw ember to power her equipment and allow her to use magic as if she were a born mage like you. Yet, without the proper attunement with ember that natural mages like you and the outlander share, it will build up in her system and begin to corrupt and destroy her.”

            I fell to my knees and looked at the ancient stone floor, “So that’s it. We all got lucky and she didn’t.”

            The guardian of the wild scratched its chin thoughtfully, “It is possible that…well not to speak too soon. That the influx of ember in her system was not due to random chance.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Well, I recall her coming to me to ask about where the alchemist studied during the days following the fall of ordrak and I pointed her in the direction of his home in Zeryphesh. She was mumbling about how the alchemist didn’t have enough time.”

            “You think she found something to cure the ember blight?”

            “Well…when she came back from that to assist you in fighting the witches, she had new equipment no?”

            “She…she did.”

            “That was when we sensed the influx but we believed it part of the witches magic’s. Perhaps the engineer found a way to remove latent dangerous ember from other beings.”

            “She removed my ember corruption?”

            “Everyone with any connection to magic has the startings to develop ember blight though it is mostly the unlucky and ill prepared who do. If the engineer had found such designs and used them on you and your two friends then that would explain the lack of ember taint within you all. Where that energy went though, is another thing.”

            “Ember desires a host right? So would it have-”

            “Been absorbed into the engineers body. Possibly tipping the scale past the returners mark. In that case, the simple fact that the engineer immediately left during the night and abandoned you after fighting the witches would make sense. She would have known very well the dangers of her craft and would have had a plan to deal with herself should she have fallen to its corruption.”

            “As in?”

            “After witnessing the destruction caused by the alchemist, I would not put it past her to…errrr....separate herself from her life.”

            Tears filled my eyes and they spilled over my cheeks and dripped to the ground. My mind was filled with happy memories of her and I on our adventure together before we met up with the berserker and the outlander. Our victories over the artificer, dwarven machinations, warlike bears, and dragonkin. Her smile after every fight, regardless of how wounded she was. The time she faced the troll king alone when I was struck down and wounded. The time she-

            “No! I won’t give up on her like that. She must have found a way and I’m going to help her.”

            “That would be too dangerous, surely you should contact the vanquisher and destroyer-”

            Just then the doors behind us slammed open and I spun to see my two dear friends enter. The outlander was dressed in a desert shemagh and had knives and blades strapped to every arm and leg, two pistols in their belt, a bow across their back, and a large crossbow in their hands. The berserker had a set of golden armor decorated with animal skins and various axes, swords, and maces slung across their body while claws extended from their gauntlets. His beard seemed a little whiter then usual but other then the massive toothy grin across the old mans face, nothing seemed out of place. He throws a large staff across the room and I catch it deftly.

            “C’mon Zale. We got a friend to rescue.”

            The guardian of mana attempted to cut us off, “This is ridiculous. You can’t expect to find the engineer in Valoran. She could be anywhere.”

            “Actually, I tracked her to Grunnheim. She’s not trying to be discrete.”

            The guardian of mana looked at the outlander before the guardian of air stepped in front of her, “We wish you luck in your journey. I pray for the best.”

           

            Later on the embercraft, we all leaned over the railing, watching the hills and temples become mountains, ancient forests, and ruins. The ancient dwarves made their last stand on this battlefield and their machinations and hollow bodies still roam. We had beaten hundreds back into their mines and caverns during out quests but many had returned. We made for the imperial fort, once a humble imperial camp between the dwarf fortress, swamp, and battlefield.

            “Do we have a plan? I mean we’re gonna get her but anything other then that?”

            I looked down, “To be honest I have no idea. The alchemist couldn’t be saved so what chance does she have?”

            Just then two arms were thrown around us and a boisterous laugh filled out ears, “Hey hey doncha think a couple miracle makers like us could pull something together last second. The alchemist had it for years right? Ana’s got plenty of time.”

            I smiled weakly at him, “I guess so Avery. So Djenga, where exactly was she going?”

            They pointed at a mountain shrouded in mist in the distance, “A dwarven city fills the mountain and it’s the only thing in that direction for miles. If she ain’t there then she’s headed out to sea.”

            I slam my fist down on the railing, “Alright! We’re gonna take the whole mountain apart until we find her and when we do we’re going to bring her back and find a way to heal her!”

            “I like the enthusiasm Zale.”

            The steerman shouted from the cockpit, “The imperial fort coming up on our right. Tops 2 minutes!”

            “Aye aye captain. C’mon guys, lets find the vanquisher. I think she’s still commander here.”


	2. Dwarven Locks

The camp was nothing like it once was. Where tents once littered the clearing stone houses and walls rose and where the rusty old gates once stood to protect against the outside evils massive gates and guard towers blocked the way.

            We were gladly allowed in and hurried to see the vanquisher who was apparently on her way out across the fort. We ran along the cobble paths and rounded a house when we caught sight of the imperial embercraft, armed and ready for some expedition. I yelled her name and she stuck her head out from the tank like vehicle and waved. She jumped off and I threw my arms around her.

            “Whoa there Zale…and Djenga and Avery too? This is quite the surprise!”

            “Did you hear? Ana’s missing!”

            “What? I didn’t hear anything of the sort! Where’d she go?”

            “According to Djenga, she’s out in grunnheim and she was heading to-”

            I turned to Djenga for the name, “Cael.”

            “Yeah that. It’s like some big mountain fort or something. Have you seen anything or heard anything at all?”

            “Well I know the Cael alright. Biggest city the dwarves ever made apparently. The netherim invaded it near the start of the fall of their empire. Place got sealed up good and we couldn’t figure out the lock so we had to give it up.”

            “You had to?”

            She taps her chin knowingly, “Yeah. Other then the sheer complexity of the ember clockwork lock, the dragonkin got riled up and we had to pull back.”

            “Wait so the mountain is completely sealed? So we can just head over, carve our way through some dragonkin, and find Ana hanging around, right?”

            “Well…we’ve actually heard some, now troubling, reports from Cael’s direction. Scouts are saying that the dragonkin have almost completely disappeared from the whole valley. We thought they found a new home or something but lots of soldiers who had fought them thought they got spooked. Until now, we had no idea what could be strong enough to spook em.”

            “How long ago were these reports?”

            “Ehhh? Like two three days.”

            “We need to get there immediately!”

            “Well, we could use my embercraft. I was going to present my reports on the region to the emperor but this is more important then courtesy.”

            She turns and whistles at some of the red clad guards and they quickly stand to attention, “Change in plans lads. We’re going to Mount Cael!”

            “But ma’am, the emperor-”

            “The emperor couldn’t care less once I tell him why so get the tank turned around and ready to go. The second that thing warms up, we’re leaving.”

            She turns back and waves for us to follow her, “C’mon. Fancy another ride on an embercraft. I would tell you that this one is much smoother and faster then the other but the road ahead is uneven and will make this one rough.”

            I nod and run off behind her, turning only to make sure my two companions were still following.

 

            The mountain was much more ominous up close, the mist and clouds unnatural in the clear air. The mountain itself was made of a solid white mineral that Djenga said was extremely hard and could reflect magic. We passed through a seemingly endless city of ruins, overgrown with the forest, but ran into no enemies. Dragon skeletons and shattered automations lay sprawled across the path, growing more and more frightening with every mile. We finally came across what appeared to be a city center at some point and entered a massive circle with no ruins aside from a pile of rubble in the center.

            “The door lies just on the other side of the square. Keep your eyes peeled. I find it hard to believe that all the dwarves and dragons are gone. Especially since we had sightings of an arch dragon around these parts.”

            Avery laughed, “We fought two of those I think. Well one was undead to be fair but same thing.”

            We heard a whistle from the roof and Djenga called down to us, “This dragon wouldn’t have been black would it?”

            “Actually, it was.”

            “Ah, well this is troubling.”

            As we turned round the rubble, we had a clear line of sight to the mountain and I covered my mouth. The giant sprawled body of a black dragon lay, contorted, across the ruins. His wings were ripped; skin scarred, and eyes frozen in a dead fog. As we pulled up along the side of the hulking creature I spotted something and wrapped embers around my hand, flicking my hand out towards the beasts head. The embers wrapped around the object in question, barely visible among the horns and scales, and I pulled my arm back to yank it out. A long brutal blade, runed and still glowing floated back to me. I grabbed it with both hands and it’s insane weight dragged me to the floor.

            “Whoa there, here allow me.”

            Avery took the blade from me and hefted it up with both arms, extending it out in front of him for us to see, “Tsk. Ana always liked using the heavy stuff that none of us could ever hope to use eh?”

            The vanquisher shook her head, “Was this hers?”

            “Aye. She had it with her when we fought the witches. It seems pretty special so I don’t know why she would have just left it here.”

            “Well we’ll find out soon. The door is just over there.”

            The door in question was actually a hundred foot tall gateway covered in gears and rusted metals with a faint glow of magic emanating from it. At the top a massive silver crescent hung, casting strange shadows over the ruins.

            “With a little translation we found that the gate will only open to the dwarven king or during the nighttime which, historically, was when the dwarven automations were strongest as they had night vision. Dusk is upon us so the door should technically open soon. Let us hide.”

 

            We watched the gate for what felt like hours and, as boredom and anxiety started taking over, I began flicking stones around after imbuing them with my magic. The glowing pebbles floated around, bouncing and ricocheting off each other when the vanquisher reached over and swatted them to the ground.

            “Quiet. Someone is coming.”

            We all peered into the dark misty ruins from our hideout when the outlander pointed their finger off towards a ruined tower. I followed the finger and my eyes grew wide as a shadowy figure disappeared in and out between the stone and mist. When they stepped into the soft pale light cast by the giant crescent moon we got a much better picture of the figure. They wore a large black cloak and hood that covered their entire body, obscuring any of the finer details that the view should have contained. I notice that the figure beneath the cloak was…different then what I would have expected. Something jutted out from their back and shoulders that looked almost like…Ana’s embertech pylons! I open my mouth but Djenga glared at me, silencing any words I might have uttered. I try to settle down and I disturb a pebble from the stone pillar I was lying next to and we all held our breaths.

            The figure turned towards us, scanning the ruins for what made the noise. How she heard that is beyond me. The figure shakes their head and turns to the door, drawing forth a wand of metal and gears that began to click from her cloak. She approached the door and stood squarely in front of it, raising the wand to the sky. Nothing happened for almost a minute as we barely dared to breath. Then, blue electric surged up the engineer’s hand, engulfing the wand, and it’s gears spun, creating a summoning circle upon the ground around the engineer. The engineer discarded the now fried wand and walked towards the door. The moment she stepped out of the summoning circle, it shattered, cracking the air around her. From those cracks, red embers seeped towards her, draping her in red light. The force of the ember summon sent her cloak into flames. She reached up and tore it off with one gauntleted hand. I gasped loudly now as I looked at the dually horrifyingly familiar figure of the engineer. Her old armor was present but it was different, edited and modified. New gears and glowing panels and stove covers decorated the new armor but the most horrifying part was the helmet. As she turned towards us, I stared straight into the face of the alchemist and my horrid memories of our final battle rushed through my mind.

            Ana stared at us, the red lights underneath the alchemist’s helm unmoving and unwavering before she turned back to the door, muttering some chant just loud enough for us to hear, “No time. No time. No time. The bioforge. Human hearts of robotic code lost in the damned of a forgotten abode.”

            I stood up then and yelled at Ana as she reached the door, extending her hand to the clockwork locks, “Ana! Stop!”

            The gears and mechanisms began to spin and churn, rust and metal shards flying in all directions. The silver moon turns and faces downward, showering the engineer in white light. The doors stop churning and go silent, splitting open and hauling themselves on invisible chains until the gate is completely open. The darkness seems to push out towards the engineer who lifts their massive wrench and walks towards the door. The darkness swirls and wraps its tendrils around her but she shrugs off the fingers of the darkness easily. A rumble shakes the ruins and I can make out hundreds of moving shapes within the darkness. Suddenly a hulking mechanical figure lurches out of the gateway and charges at Ana, cleavered arms swinging and smoke billowing out from the exhaust pipes.

            Ana lifts her wrench and it glows as fire covers it from pommel to tip. The machination lunges at Ana but she leaps up in a trail of steam, hovering over the robot briefly before slamming down unto its back. The metal shatters, smashing the automation into thousands of pieces. More and more horrible abominations charge from the black gate and Ana’s armor begins to steam and smoke. The red embers around her body-sized wrench begin to converge on the tip where they forge a scythe like blade of pure red ember. She starts running straight through the monsters towards the gate. Her armor causes flames and tremors to explode around her with every step as she barreled through the netherim, corrupted dwarves, and robots. We can only watch in horror, fascination, and awe at how she cleaves through the entire force as she charges into the mountain, leaving behind a trail of shattered stone and burning cinders.

            As she disappears into the void, we get up and the vanquisher quickly instructs the imperial guards to return to camp and bring back the assault company to prevent anything from leaving the mountain. I turn and frown at my companions who are still eyeing the broken and twitching bodies and remains of the horde.

            “Well, no turning back now.”

            “Aye.”

            “Agreed.”

 


	3. The Value of Life and the cost of Humanity

            We ventured into the fortress to find that no light existed within as even the scorch left by Ana had been snuffed. The whole place smelled of rust, iron, and sulfur. Not the most pleasant smell we decided as we wrapped our noses in fabrics to block the stench. I summoned a dozen light spheres to follow us through the mountain. The insides were not unlike the metalworks we traveled through to reach the alchemist and the netherim king. Liquid metal and lava flowed through channels into massive pools, raising the temperature to a boiling and nearly unbearable level. I could already feel myself sweat, even underneath my light and ice reinforced robes. We followed the path of destruction up through the complex paths and tunnels. We met with very little resistance, which we quickly crushed with magic, bullets, and blades. We followed the destruction through a smashed wall and then had to backtrack to follow a different path.

            “Is she trying to lose us? Throw us off the trail?”

            Djenga shook their head, “No. My guess is that Ana is unsure of where she’s going. She must be following some sort of map or aura. Imagine trying to find your way through a map that covers hundreds of floors.”

            “Ah.”

            “She was here recently though, the scorch marks are still burning. We must be prepared to face her at any point.”

            I nodded in a show of confidence but inside I was trembling. After seeing her strength and power under the influence of ember blight, which even the alchemist could not reach, and he had the power of the netherim at his side. I thought of Ana’s face behind the alchemist’s helmet and pictured her eyes full of hate and wrath, corrupted by the ember. No. No no no no. I can’t think of that now. She can be saved, she will be saved, and I will save her.

            We reach a stairway leading up into the darkness and we begin the ascent. In the distance, we can hear the faint sounds of metal clanging, steam blowing, and machines screeching. They steadily grow louder until we can make out the faint red glow at the top. We ready our weapons and I prepare a spear of magma in my palm as we reach the top of the stairs.

            We enter a room that I could only guess would be the top of the mountain. My spheres of light try their best to reach the roof but one gets snuffed out so I withdraw them to hang above us. In front of us is a long path lit by floating fire embers. At the end sits a throne and we can just make out the silhouette of Ana standing in front of it, her back to us. I begin to call out to her when I see her whirl her wrench, the red scythe cleaving through the throne. A loud clang echoes around the chamber as something falls to the ground. Ana stoops to lift it, the object illuminating at her touch. A great hammer, covered in runes, and of obvious dwarven design shines blue.

            “Ana! We’ve come to help you! Now would you just-”

            A strike of lightning flashes and Ana turns to us, dropping her wrench, and raising the hammer into the air. Blue electric bolts shoot down from the darkness, surrounding her and the hammer, and lift her skyward. The lightning begins to drag metal pieces and machines towards her, surrounding her in an intricately built machine like pod. The single window glows red.

            “What’s going on? ANA!”

            “Hang on we’ve got trouble Zale! On your left Avery!”

            He dives to right as a dwarven brute smashes his hammer down where he stood. I fling my magma lance at it and it crumbles to the floor. The very ground shakes as creatures and abominations come rushing and crawling up the stairs. I summon a mirror while Djenga summons his demonic circles and Avery channels his beast auras. For a battle like this, I’m the supporting fighter. Avery takes point, cleaving through the enemies and taking hits before retreating back to receive buffs, shields, healing, and to down a potion or two. Djenga levels out the stragglers and attempts to force the enemies together with their shotgun and pistols. I focused on summoning meteor storms, explosions, and pillars of fire to incinerate the creatures.

            As the flow of enemies continued, Avery had to duck back more and more often and Djenga had to deal with more and more stragglers instead of keeping them together. As a result, my spells dealt less and less damage and struck less and less enemies. My felt my mana draining and I quickly uncorked one of the blue potions hanging from my belt and drank it down. The liquid was nearly tasteless but I could already feel my strength returning, slowly.

            I glance back up at the battle and take in the situation. Avery is fending off a horde of dwarves and losing ground and Djenga is kiting around a massive automation that seemed to have been taken over by a netherim. I spin my staff, filling it with magic, and release it. It floats in front of me as I channel my magical energies, refreshed by the mana. Between my hands, a ball of ice forms and I carefully mold it and as it solidifies, I wrap it in hot magma.

            I scream into the room with all my voice, “AVERY! DJENGA! UP NOW!”

            I smash my hands together, crushing the orb. In immediate response, the air around me liquefies into a wave of lava, sweeping through the room. Avery and Djenga leap over it just in time as it swamps the room. The follow up spell freezes the forced change in moisture, surrounding us in a twenty-foot tall wall of ice. I collapse to my knees and Djenga helps me drink one of his mana potions.

            Avery twitched his head and kept spinning around, looking all over for something. That’s when we heard it too. An ominous ticking noise, echoing off the ice, surrounded us. We all stood back-to-back, weapons at the ready, waiting for something to show. The clicking, however, only got louder until it drowned out everything else.

            My eyes grew wide as something dark appeared on the other side of the crystalline ice. It stopped in front of the wall and stood there, watching us. I gulped and slung my staff across my back and drew my two wands from my belts. The clicking got even louder and louder and louder when it just stopped. Silence set in, but only for a second before the ice wall shattered, magical shrapnel flying everywhere. Before I can react a shard hits me across the face and when I touch my cheek, my fingers come away red. The figure steps through the mist and it could only be one person.

            Ana stands before us, double the armor as before, embers dancing across her body. She carries her favorite wrench in one hand while the other has metallic claws extending from it. Her mask is the only thing unchanged. Still, the corrupted eyes of the alchemist look back at me.

            “YAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

            Avery charges with Djenga leaping into the air, firing a volley from his bow. The arrows bounce harmlessly off the metal armor but Avery barrels into her, sending her flying back into the darkness. He strikes a triumphant pose but before I can warn him, a bolt of purple and red electric takes him out with an explosion. Ana steps back into sight, unwounded by Avery’s charge. Djenga draws their pistols and walks towards her, firing incessantly into her body. The bullets do nothing and Ana leaps at Djenga, slamming him in the side with her wrench and sending them rolling and flailing into a pile of ice shards.

            “A-an-ana? Ana are you still…are you still there?”

            She walked towards me, slowly, and with purpose a she hefted her wrench again. I stumble backwards, casting bolts and fireballs from my wands towards her. She knocks them aside as if they were butterflies, flapping about in the summer. I draw my strength out and cast a beam of pure ice at her but she simply puts up her hand, nullifying its effect.

            “Ana? Ana please! We’re friends remember? We beat the alchemist together, killed the artificer, beat Ezrek Khan. Don’t you remember any of it?”

            She stayed silent but continued walking towards me. I found myself backing up closer and closer to the wall of ice that was behind me. My legs were shaky, hands trembling, heart pounding, and lungs exhausted. Suddenly, Ana rose her weapon and slammed it down at my feet. I leaped back as the flaming attack crushed the solid stone and metal floors beneath me. I tried to get up but my legs would no longer support me. Ana stood over me and my lower lip trembled as I looked up at her. She again raised her weapon but she lurched forward when a bolt of metal hit her squarely in the back, causing her to spin. Out of the shadows, a massive spectral wolf leapt, dragging Ana to the ground and ripping at her armor.

            Avery even managed to shred off some of her plating before she repelled him. She turned to me again but Djenga buried more and more bolts into her armor, forcing her to battle them. She summoned a dark sphere of some sort within her palm but Avery and Djenga resumed their assault.

            “NO!”

            Ana crushed the sphere, sending black waves slamming into them, leaving them crumpled on the floor, “Avery! Djenga! Ana stop!”

            She turned back to me and I felt a rage built up within me. My armor glowed, runes flaring to life, ember tattoos extending across my arms and face. She raised her clawed hand, bronze claws glinting in the light. I felt my hair begin to levitate as my fingers tingled with electrical energy. I thrust my fingers at Ana and lightning erupted from the tips, shooting into Ana. She raised her other arm defensively and tried to stop me but I put more and more power into them, forcing her back. I pushed more and more magical energy through my body, feeling the empty strain as my muscles began to freeze up. I was running out of energy again and I could see and feel my lightning weakening as Ana began to push back.

            I remembered a little piece of information I had read about the rogue mages called the blackstaffs. They used a forbidden form of magic that grew power from the users vitality, shortening their lives but giving them near infinites bursts of strength.

            Worth a shot. I focused on my own body, pulling strength from my veins, heart, and blood. Instantly, a new surge of power ripped through my body and the lightning changed to a pure crimson stream. The energy ripped through Ana’s armor, tearing off metal shards and melting the claws completely. I lean forward, keeping the flow of electricity focused on her. She staggers back, dropping her weapon and clawing at the lightning as if it were a physical enemy. More and more armor separates from her, glowing embers fall away, and drops of molten metal stream off her.

            I feel an impending sense of dread and glance down to see my robed stained red. A jarring pain erupts in my chest and I drop to my side, clutching the ribs over my heart. My lips are wet but its not saliva. It’s more fluid, dripping down my lips and coating my teeth. I look up at Ana, smoldering and barely distinguishable in her ruined armor. The only thing untouched is the cursed alchemist’s helm. I feel my body growing heavy and I raise a wand that had fallen beside me. The little bit of magic contained within it was enough for me to shoot a final laser at Ana. I aimed at the helmet. The fucking thing that ruined everything for us. The laser hits the helmet squarely and it comes loose, falling to the ground. My vision grows blurry and I can no longer see farther then a foot or two before it becomes a mix of faded shapes.

            I hear an explosion and something hits me in the chest. I close my eyes and pray to the future. I’m sure the mountain is exploding with all that old machinery. Well…Vilderan will need more heroes but I’m sure they’ll manage. Maybe Avery and Djenga will get out.

            I feel a strangely familiar cool breeze and I hear someone…calling…no yelling…in the far distance. Not unlike a voice from the top of a cliff, echoing down to me. Looks like I’ve already passed on. Funny. I thought it would be brighter.

            “Please don’t go Zale! Open your eyes. Please. Just please open your eyes. I won’t argue with you ever again, I won’t poke fun at you, I won’t take your potions, I won’t feed your pet fish that turn them into mimics so just please wake up.”

            I feel myself walk through the darkness, like a silent realm of its own. In the distance there is a light, calming and attractive. I automatically start walking towards it.

            “Please don’t leave me too! I don’t want to be alone anymore. Please Zale. Come back.”

            The voice…isn’t from the light. It comes from behind me, in the darkness. I look back and forth between the two unsure of what to do when the voice comes again.

“Don’t you remember me? It’s me Ana. We traveled together remember? You were my best friend so please. Don’t go. You saved me. I’m right here holding you. Please come back.”

I turn towards the voice, the light calling to me, and trudge onwards. The voice of the light tries to convince me but I ignore it, pushing it away with thoughts of Avery, Djenga, and Ana. Of our fun adventure and travels full of danger. Fighting tough enemies three times our size, finding rare weapons and arguing about who should get it, and surprising one another with items later.

I can hear the sobs accompanying the voice now, “What have I done? Oh gods look at her! I did this. I did this.”

I can hear the octave and tone of the voice and I know it to be Ana’s, “How did this happen? How did it come to this?”

I push my legs into overdrive and run towards the voice, “The healing isn’t working! Nothing is working!”

Then I see her, kneeled down and arms tenderly holding some invisible thing, surrounded in a pale light. Her white hair droops over her face and her body shakes.

I approach her cautiously, unsure of what to do, “Gods…please hear me now. Grant me a final trade. My life for hers. She was brave, kind, and gentle to all. She didn’t deserve to die by my hand! Her own friend…and I betrayed her.”

I fall to my knees and wrap my arms around her. She’s warm. It feels…nice.


	4. Placebo Effect

            I open my eyes and squint up at the blurry image above me. After a second, I open my eyes wider and smile as the blurry face of Ana comes into focus. Her eyes are closed and tears drip down her scarred and tanned skin, falling unto my face. I find my hand and slowly move it up to touch her face, cupping her cheek below the ear. She immediately opens her eyes and pulls me even tighter into a hug sobbing uncontrollably.

            She wipes off my face with a cloth, “I-I-I thought I killed you.”

            “I’m not that fragile. Don’t you know who I am? Zale the Mana Archon.”

            She buries her face in my neck, “Of course how could I forget.”

            Then I look up to see Djenga and Avery, standing over us, “Good to see you guys again.”

            Avery furiously wiped his face with his sleeve and Djenga looked away, “You guys weren’t crying were you?”

            Djenga whistled their strange instrumental whistle, “Nope, nothing like that. Just dust that got picked up from the fight.”

            Avery pulled his sleeve away though his eyes were red and his beard was damp, “W-what they said. We knew you’d come back.”

            I smiled, “Thank you.”

            Djenga had gotten themself together by this point and switched into war mode, “Alright we need to get you out of here before anything else shows up. Any ideas? Your wounds are pretty bad but if we can get you to a sterile environment and a doctor you should be fine.”

            Avery spun his swords, obviously preparing for a fight, when I waved my hand at him, “My bag. There should be a portal scroll.”

            Minutes alter, my bag was located and the portal summoned. I was able to safely calibrate its positioning to reach the mountain gate though Ana held unto me the whole time as she didn’t trust that I was fit enough. Not to say I didn’t secretly enjoy it.

            Avery and Djenga then stalked into the portal before calling us through to say that it worked when Ana lifted me into her arms, “H-hey! I can walk just fi-”

            “No. Now shush and let me carry you.”

            “I thought you said you wouldn’t argue with me anymore.”

            “You heard that huh? Sorry I’m breaking the promise so early.”

            She carried me through the portal and the whole way to the embercraft. Ana wouldn’t let me answer any questions or leave her arms on the journey back and I felt myself getting more and more flustered as I thought about the bridal carry I was currently in. The name definitely didn’t help.

 

            The doctor had just left when Ana ran in, sitting on the bed next to me, “How are you? Is everything healing?”

            I look at Ana and realize that she hasn’t changed from that night. She was still wearing the suit of armor that she had originally worn before she got whatever the new suit was. A garb we were more used to her wearing.

            “You haven’t changed? Heavens above there is still dried blood on your face. Go take a bath!”

            “I’m fine.”

            She lifted my blanket to probably check my wounds and I pulled it down violently with both of us blushing. I wasn’t wearing any clothes.

            She scratched her head and stammered, “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

            I tried to calm myself but my heart was pounding again, “It’s…it’s okay. Honest mistake. We’re both girls right? No harm done.”

            The words hurt to say but I wanted to normalize the situation as quickly as possible. It seemed to work as she breathed a sigh of relief.

            “But…ummmm…surely you should at least get checked on. You got beat up a lot back there.”

            “I promise. I feel better then ever and this blood,” she flakes it off, revealing no wound underneath, “I think it’s yours.”

            “Oh…I’m sorry.”

            She shakes her hands, “Oh don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. I should let you rest shouldn’t I? Please excuse me.”

            She hastily got up and exited the room, leaving me perplexed and confused. She hasn’t seen a doctor yet? I know she has her healing robot but surely she needs to see a professional. Just then Avery, Djenga, and the other doctor step in.

            “Resting well? We hope so cause we need your help.”

            I give them a questioning look as the doctor starts, “We have been…unable to locate the engineer, Ana.”

            “What? She was just in here. Didn’t you see her?”

            Djenga shook her head, “How she does it we don’t know. She is sighted a couple times a day but we can never actually find her. She’ll grab food then immediately leave. Did she say anything?”

            “I asked her if she saw a doctor but she said she was fine. I didn’t believe her but…”

            Avery shrugged, “I’m biddin she’s fine, just a little awked out after what happened with Zale.”

            The doctor sighed, “Regardless of how well she is or isn’t doing, I need to see her. Her emberblight may or may not be cured and we need to know that information. If you see her again then please try again to get her to come see me. A latent emberblight or corruption would be-”

            Just then a red coated imperial soldier rushed in, breathing heavy, “Lieutenant Ana’s been spotted!”

            I sit up in my bed, “Where?”

            He puts up a finger and wheezes some more, “Deep in the sundered battlefield.”

            Djenga’s mental map already started working, “Where exactly? Landmarks, enemies, ruins, anything.”

            He begins moving his hands in a circular motion, “Where the swamp curves around the battlefield. I uh think its called Siren’s mire. Just past the dwarven battle towers.”

            “Has that area been-”

            “Cleared? No sir, the commander determined that it was too dangerous to assault and that if left alone, it wouldn’t cause problems.”

            I tilted my head, “Are there dangerous enemies?”

            Djenga answered me, “Remember the blight witches?”

            I shuddered, “Horrid things.”

            “Well the…things that live in that region aren’t your normal witches. Instead of voodoo and witchcraft, they use affective magic.”

            “Effective?”

            “No, Affective. Basically they try to get you to drown in the swamp.”

            “How? Do they drag you down?”

            “Only if you get close to them.”

            “Then how-”

            “Their magic messes with your head. Like your mood and emotions for instance. Maybe they’ll make you so angry you’ll chase them, so scared you run into them, or so in love, you’ll run to them.”

            The soldier clicked his tongue, “Exactly why we avoid the place. The witches seem quite content to stay in their bog so we leave em be.”

            “We’ve got to go get her! What if they drag her in?”

            “Exactly what me and Avery are about to do.”

            “Avery and I but why not me?”

            “You’re wounded aren’t you?”

            “Well I didn’t get wounded to let Ana die did I?”

            I slide my legs over the side of the bed and begin to get up. When the doctor tries to stop me, Avery grabs her shoulder.

            “I wouldn’t advise it m’lady.”

            “But she needs rest, not to go tromping around after whores in the wood.”

            I stared at her and she quickly stuttered, “I’m sorry. I was referring to the witches and not err your good friend. I respect her a great deal. I’m very sorry.”

            I tittered about before gaining my balance and patted her on the shoulder, “It’s okay. Honest mistake. C’mon guys. Ana’s rescue part 2 is about to begin.”

           


	5. Please...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> im crying

            The journey to the far edge of sundered battlefield was uneventful though unnerving as usual. Varkolyn and other foul creatures watched us from the afar but none had the courage to attack. Soon the crumbling husks of the dragon towers rose up on the horizon and we reached the end of the battlefield. The swamp began like Djenga said but it was off. The path was seemingly well lit for being in a swamp, nice and well tended.

            “An obvious trap. Glad we’re walking into it.”

            “Why is Ana here?”

            “I’m sure we can ask her when we get there. Let’s go.”

            We moved quickly along the swamp side trail, eyeing the trees and foul waters. I had the constant feeling that eyes were watching me wherever I go and I shivered. My body was definitely not fully healed as I had fallen out of breath quickly on the journey and my body ached. Then I saw her, Ana, sitting out in the middle of the path. I broke out into a smile and began to run to her when Avery put out his arm, stopping me.

            “Unless ye be well aquainted with me dear dead mother. I would advise against running ahead.”

            “Mother? That’s Ana though…”

            Djenga drew their pistol and fired a single shot straight through Ana’s head and I screamed, “Bastard creature.”

            Before I could scream at Djenga I saw the dead body of Ana begin to shimmer and break apart until the decrepit form of a witch lay in her place. I stared in complete and utter surprise at what was Ana as Avery patted me on the shoulder.

            “We had some nasty mages who used this type of thing back at my home. If it weren’t for the magical nullification on Djenga’s weapon, that witch would forever look like Ana to you.”

            I nodded, still startled, and we continued. Now fully wary of the power these witches held. As we journeyed further into the swamp, the witches became more and more aggressive. Dropping the love and lust magic after seeing their sister die. Now they popped out of the swamp and sat in trees, using anger and fear to attempt to break us apart. We all held unto each other’s clothes as we walked, Avery on one side and me on the other with Djenga in the middle. Djenga fired off shots at the witches but most were quick enough to escape. I stared straight ahead as the witches taunted us.

            One to my right was the alchemist, another a cultist, and yet another my old master, beckoning me to help him. We carried on however, undeterred. As we reached what felt like miles in I heard a snap of a branch and spun around. Nothing was behind us but the witches, slowly making their way to shore. I spun the other two around to face the witches and we readied our weapons. A branch and a leaf fell down, landing squarely in front of us.

            I looked up to see a hulking figure, silhouetted against the trees. It leapt off the branches and landed with a massive thud. It’s wooden legs sinking a solid two feet into the ground before I pulled itself out. The massive witch wore a huge array of weapons and armor and I swallowed the knot in my throat. I could identify imperial armor, dragon scales, dwarven plates, pikes, swords, shields, ezrohir facemasks, and a hundred more varieties of armaments ordaining the foul creature. It drew forth a massive staff, crafted from what looked to be the remains of a netherim brute.

            It rattled and hissed at us, causing the rest of the witches to also hiss and scream. The sounds deafened us and we clutched our ears in pain. I had no magic to nullify sound and no amount of plugging my ears would stop this. It was like the sound was entering through our skin and not ears. Then bullets whirled over us, tearing off some of the hulking witches armor and mowing down eight witches. I didn’t even need to turn as a robot two times my size slammed into the head witch, sending her leaping back. I smiled and recalled the time when Ana had learnt to create what she called sledgebot. I felt the chill of a cool breeze and a leg height bot rolled underneath my legs, emitting an aura of ember-induced regeneration. The last two bots appeared, the gunbot with its three-barreled minigun running to our side and the floating little drone that could shoot electricity to slow down enemies. I raise my staff and smile, uttering the chant to create pillars of fire along my fingertips. Almost like old times.

            We leapt at the enemies, drawing back to our age-old strategy when we were hunting the alchemist. Ana’s bots allowed us the breathing room to take more risks and get closer to our enemies so that’s just what we did. Avery charged in, swinging his two axes and sending splinters flying while Djenga pulled out a shotgun and started leveling the wooden witches. I finished my chant and slammed my palm on the ground, sending massive pillars of swirling fire towards the witches. They stood no chance. Their magic was limited, even in comparison to the regular bog witches. I caught a green haze out of the corner of my eye and many of the witches we had just shattered returned to life.

            “It’s the big one. It’s resurrecting them.”

            The bots followed our lead as we charged through the thronged witches towards the leader. The massive witch spun her staff and cast spell after spell of wind magic, slicing blades of air, towards us. Avery took point and smashed the magic away with his maces and Djenga used a bow to put arrow after arrow into the joints of the witch, freezing her staff in place. By now I had finished another chant and waited until the witch moved her hand to free the other. At that point I jumped unto sledgebots back and into the air, reaching just above the witches height. I raised my hand in the air and threw it towards the ground, clenching my hand into a fist at the end. A red flame appeared underneath the witch before quickly growing into a massive inferno nova that consumed the entire creature, causing it to scream in pain. It took almost a full minute before the creature succumbed to the blaze and sank into it, leaving behind a pile of molten metals and charcoal.

            I sighed in relief and turned to find Ana as she had summoned the bots but I found nobody other then us. I looked to Avery and Djenga but they shrugged and pointed towards the continuing path. Traveling along it we didn’t see or hear a single witch. Finally the trees broke away to form a water encircled clearing, the pale sky visible above. The bots pushed past us and sat down around a figure sitting in the middle. The figures body shook, trembling visible even from a distance. They wore a cloak but I recognized it and stepped forward only for Avery to once again place a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head and pushed past him, he didn’t try to stop me.

            As I approach the figure carefully, I begin to hear their sobbing cries. The tearful moans feel like they are ripping threads from my heart but I stop before I reach them. A branch snaps under my foot and I freeze. The figure stops sobbing but continues to tremble as they turn their head a little. I can just make out their red lips and tan nose past the hood.

            “Ana? Are you okay?”

            She shook with another sob and turned away from me. I decided that this was enough and I fell to my knees and wrapped my arms around her neck, resting my head on her shoulder. I whispered to her, trying to tell her everything was alright, but she seemed to ignore me and weep even harder. I could feel drops of cool liquid fall unto my arms but I only hugged harder, trying to stop her shaking body. Her own arms were wrapped around her chest and her legs tucked underneath her, effectively cutting her body size in half.

            “Ana please, talk to me. I’m here for you. You can trust me with anything.”

            She shook her head, knocking her hood off little by little with each shake, “Please Ana. We’re friends aren’t we? Don’t lock me out.”

            This only seems to upset her more and she managed to stop her sobbing long enough to speak, “No-no-no. I can’t…Please just….just go. Leave me here.”

            I pursed my lips and hushed her quietly, “I’m not leaving you. If I go, you’re coming with me.”

            She shook her head some more but I felt her take hold of my hand and I glanced around the clearing. Still bodies of witches lay, unbroken and silent, scattered around the grassy ground. None of them were broken, burnt, or damaged. Just…dead.

            In a faint whisper I heard Ana mutter, “I’m sorry Zale.”

            “You have nothing to be sorry about. Please stop blaming yourself.”

            Her sobs start returning, causing her to tremble once more, “I messed up. I-I-I…”

            “Please come back. Everything will be all right.”

            She gasps within the sobs, “Everything…will…be all right.”

            “Yes. That’s exactly right. Things will be okay.”

            She shakes her head again, her hood finally coming off her head and allowing locks of her pale hair to escape, “Everything is…is so long.”

            “Yes, everything is for all eternity. We’re going to be all right.”

            “Eternit…ty. Can I…last that…long?”

            “What are you talking about? Ana, please tell me what’s wrong?”

            She shivers, releasing my hand but I quickly grab hers back, “You…you’re…you deserve better. Better…then…then…then.”

            She broke down into more tears and I nuzzled my face into her neck, squeezing her hand tightly, “What do I deserve? Talk to me Ana. I can help you.”

            “I”

            “Hmmm? I didn’t quite hear it. What did you say?”

            “I. You deserve better then…then I.”

            “I don’t understand?”

            “I am bad for you. I have hurt you. Please let go and leave me. I’ll go away.”

            “Not on my life. I’m not leaving you again. Stop being silly.”

            She suddenly turns, grabbing my arm and looks me in the eye. Her face is red and tears still well up and pour down her cheeks. One hand remains over her heart, clutching it as if it were breaking itself apart this very second. Her lips tremble, fearful eyes searching mine for something, anything to end her torment.

            “I thought it would work. I really did. I tried so hard. So hard…”

            “Please Ana. Tell me what’s wrong? I don’t want to see you suffer like this.”

            She slumps down, dragging my sleeve down my arm, and her head falls into my chest, “The emberblight. I tried so hard. I fought it with every once of my being. I searched the world for answers. But they weren’t right.”

            I felt a fear grow within me, “What do you mean? I thought your emberblight was cured.”

            She nods, “It is. The alchemist knew this. He knew that without sacrifice, there was no curing the emberblight. He tried anyways. Tried to find a way. Any way.”

            “What did he do?”

            “Even though he knew there was no way, he tried anyways. Tried his best. Fought with every once of his being.”

            “What does-”

            “I am the alchemist!”

            I stared at her, eyes wide, “I am the alchemist. Even though he tried so hard to not give everything up, he did anyways. I didn’t want to. I thought I could cheat fate. I-I…I couldn’t Zale. I just couldn’t!”

            Her voice Is growing hoarse as she cries in so much concentrated agony and fear that I can feel tears immediately well up in my own eyes. She shakes her head and pleads with me, sinking lower and lower to the ground.

            “Don’t cry. Please just don’t cry. You can’t. I feel guilty when you cry. Please stop. Just please…”

            I scream at her, “Tell me what’s wrong Ana! I don’t care what you did. Just tell me.”

            She stares at me, her body shaking and shivering but she lets go of my arm. In slow, agonizing movements, she pushes her hair to the side, unbuttons her undershirt, and pulls away her shirt. I notice the blood stains underneath her hand that had been clutching her chest. I gasp and cover my mouth, more tears dancing down my eyelashes, as I stare at her chest.

            Where there was once tanned skin, now a translucent metal plate replaces the skin over her heart. The metal is grooved to allow movement but I can see the bloodstains and fresh blood still dripping slowly from it. The glow from whatever it is, causes her skin to appear see through and as I stare, I make it out. A sphere like object, contracting and detracting in a rhythm. A heart. The single circular light at the center of the metal patch glows with every cycle.

            “It’s a clockwork heart, powered by pure ember. I had to sacrifice my own heart, that which makes me human, to kill the emberblight.”

            I’m stunned by the whole idea and just sit there, staring at the metal heart, “See? I’ve made a horrible choice. I should have died. Killed myself in some tomb somewhere.”

            “Wh-why does this…why does this change anything Ana? You’re still the person you always were! Nothing can change that.”

            “Then why don’t I love you anymore?”

            The words that left her mouth paralyzed me, leaving me scrambling for words, “You…what?”

            “Was it not obvious? I loved you so so so much. From the day I met you when the demolisher carried you into camp. You made me the happiest person in the world when you asked my commander if I could accompany you but I knew. I knew you were too young, too sweet, and too caring to give me a straight answer if I ever told you. You would humor me and then we’d both be unhappy. To be your best friend was all I could do.”

            I mouthed the words she had said before shaking my head, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

            “I just told you. I didn’t because you-”

            “Were you so equally oblivious? We always bathed at the same time, I always came up with an excuse to sleep in the same room as you, and remember when I would always try to surprise you with hugs. I even kissed you. I love you with all my heart Ana.”

            More tears drip down her face, “I…I-I-I…I’m sorry! I thought you were oblivious but it was I the whole time. That makes it only worse.”

            “How is this worse? I just learned the love of my life loves me back.”

            She shakes her head and stops looking at me, lowering her voice to a whisper, “Because I don’t love you anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still Crying...just with a capital letter...i don't even know why but I'm just in that crying sort of mood yfm


End file.
